Phrases |
'Useful' phrases |
Idioms |
Tongue twisters |
Language-related proverbs
Idioms are expressions that don't mean what they appear to mean. For example, when you say 'it's raining cats and dogs', you don't mean that cats and dogs are falling out of sky, but rather that it's raining heavily. Idioms provide interesting insights into languages and thought processes of their speakers.
Aromanian, Cheyenne, Chinese, Cornish, Czech, Dutch, Esperanto, Estonian, Finnish, French, Gaelic (Irish), German, Indonesian, Italian, Klingon, Korean, Maltese, Mongolian, Norwegian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Tibetan, Turkish, Ukrainian, Welsh
sãndza apã nu s-featsi
blood cannot be made into water = blood is thicker than water
primuvearã nu s-adutsi mash c- unã lilici.
one flower doesn't make the spring = one sparrow does not make the spring
dupã ploai, multi tãmbãri!
after the rain many eaves! = everyone is a hero after the war
[ contents ]
Mónésó'táhoenôtse kosa?
Are you still riding the goat? = separated from your spouse
Énêhpoése ma'eno.
The turtle is shrouded = it's foggy.
Étaomêhótsenôhtóvenestse
napâhpóneehéhame.
My tapeworm can almost talk by itself = my stomach is growling.
一鼻孔出气
(yī bíkǒng chūqì /
yāt beihhúng chēuthei)
breathing through the same nostril = singing from the same hymn sheet
杯弓蛇影
(bēi gōng shé yǐng /
būi gōng sèh yíng)
seeing the reflection of a bow in a cup and thinking it's a snake
= worring about things that aren't there
yma nown bleyth dhymm
I've got the hunger of a wolf = I'm starving/very hungry
chodit kolem horké kaše
to walk around hot porridge = to beat about the bush
[ contents ]
Ik zweet peentjes
I sweat carrots = I'm sweating like a pig
[ contents ]
Li en arbaro sidas kaj arbojn ne vidas
He sits in the forest and doesn't see trees =
he can't see the wood for the trees
Sääsest elevanti tegema
To make an elephant out of a gnat = to make a mountain out of a molehill
Kivi kotti
a stone into the bag - good luck
Selge nagu seebivesi
as clear as soapy water - as clear as crystal
Paras pähkel
quite a nut - tough question (exercise)
Puust ja punaseks ette tegema
to make something out of wood and paint it red - to make something really clear
[ contents ]
pitkin hampain
with long teeth - (to do something) unwillingly
vääntää rautalangasta
to twist from wire (to make a wireframe model) - to make something really clear
tehdä kärpäsestä härkänen
to make a bull out of a fly = to make a mountain out of a molehill
kiertää kuin kissa kuumaa puuroa
to pace around hot porridge like a cat = to beat about the bush
avoir les dents longues
to have long teeth = to be ambitious
avoir les dents qui rayent le parquet
to have teeth that scratch the floor = to be extemely ambitious
J'ai d'autres chats à fouetter !
I have other cats to whip! = I have other fish to fry! - I have other things to do.
[ contents ]
ná tabhair ar chamán ná ar liathróid é!
don't take him to a hurling-stick or a ball = take precious care of him
tá sí mar a bheadh cág i measc péacóg
she's like a jackdaw among peacocks = she's like a fish out of water
Ich werde dir die Daumen drücken /
Ich drücke dir die Daumen
I'll squeeze my thumbs for you = I'm keeping my fingers
crossed for you/I wish you luck
Ich kenne es wie meine Westentasche
I know it like my waistcoat pocket = I know it like the back of my hand
Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben
Don't praise the day before evening = Don't count your chickens before they're hatched
Hals und Beinbruch!
Break a neck and leg = Break a leg (Good luck)
jemandem ein Ohr abkauen
to talk someone's ear off
klar wie Kloßbrühe
as clear potato dumpling water = as clear as crystal - easy to understand
originally meant difficult to understand (as clear as mud)
[ contents ]
kuman di seberang lautan tampak, gajah di pelupuk mata tak tampak
the bacterium across the sea is seen, but the elephant on eyelid is not seen
mettere una pulce nell'orecchio
to put a flea in somebody's ear = to raise a doubt/suspicion
saltare la mosca al naso
a fly jumping on somebody's nose = to fly of the handle -
to become abruptly annoyed, lose one's temper.
avere gli occhi foderati di prociutto
to have one's eyes lined with ham = can't see the wood for the trees -
to be unable to see what is distinctly in sight
avere le orecchie foderate di prosciutto
to have one's ears lined with ham =
to be unable to hear what can be clearly heard
avere una fame da lupo
to be as hungry as a wolf = to be very hungry/starving
[ contents ]
Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam
this is a good day to die
당근이지! (dang-geun i-ji)
it's a carrot = of course / it's obvious
[ contents ]
Għajni marret bija
My eye went with me = I fell asleep
Iddur mal-lewża
Going round the almond = beat about the bush
бурхан оршоо
бутын чинээ
сахал урга
(burkhan orshoo butin chinee sakhal urga)
God bless you and may your moustache grow like brushwood
(said when someone sneezes)
[ contents ]
å gå som katta rundt den varme grauten
to pace around hot porridge like a cat = beat about the bush
å være midt i smørøyet (bokmål) /
å vere midt i smørauget (nynorsk)
to be in the middle of the butter melting in the porridge -
to be in a very favourable place or situation
[ contents ]
Вешать лапшу
на уши
(Vešat' lapšu na ušy)
To hang noodles on one's ears = to tell lies / talk nonsense
Очки втирать
(Očki vtiratʼ)
To smear eyeglasses = to pull the wool over someone's eyes (to tell lies, to try to sell something for what it isn't
[ contents ]
Nosom para oblake
He's ripping clouds with his nose = He's conceited, puffed up
me estoy comiendo el coco
I'm eating the coconut = I'm trying to think
no tener para un bocado
without a mouthful (to eat) = to be completely penniless
[ contents ]
chang.sa.rgyag
to put up a beer tent = to get married
Aç it fırın deler
A hungry dog will break through a bakery, i.e. starving person can do impossible things
Ağacın gölgesinde sürü yatar
A whole herd can take shelter in the shade of a great tree - The whole society benefits from a great man.
[ contents ]
Робота не
вовк, в ліс
не втіче!
(Robota ne vovk, v lis ne vtiče!)
Work is not a wolf, it doesn't run into the woods = I can get back to doing that later
Моя хата скраю
(Mija chata skraju)
My cottage is at the edge = I don't know anything / It's not my business
[ contents ]
ar gefn ei geffyl gwyn
on the back of his white horse = full of mischief
rhoi'r ffidil ar y tô
put the fiddle on the roof = throw in the towel, i.e. to give up
[ contents ]
People who have contributed to this section
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, please
contact me. If you can provide audio recordings
of any of these phrases, please send them to
You can send me audio files in any format. If you don't know how to make recordings on a computer, you can send me recordings on audio cassette. Let me know if you want to do this and I'll send you my snailmail address. Or you can call me on Skype (omniglot) and I'll do the recording.
成語典 - Dictionary of Chinese Idioms
http://140.111.34.46/chengyu/
Wacky Expressions - English idioms
http://www.geocities.com/denimania/den/sayings.html
French idioms
http://www.one.under.btinternet.co.uk/list.html
German idioms
http://german.about.com/library/blidioms_start.htm
Spanish idioms
http://spanish.about.com/od/idiomsandphrases/
Idiomau Cymraeg / Welsh idioms
http://www.madog.org/dysgwyr/gramadeg/gramadeg3.html
Dictionary of idioms in Japanese, English and Russian
http://www.yamtro.sitehotel.ru
It's all Greek to me | It's raining cats and dogs | As easy as falling off a log | A sandwich short of a picnic | When pigs fly
Useful foreign phrases | Tongue twisters | Language-related proverbs
Copyright 1998- Simon Ager
